


The Wilting Rose

by Grim Reaper Cultist (DeletedBecauseShy)



Series: Crimson Deserter AU [1]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, Canon Era, Character Study, Crimson Deserter AU, F/F, F/M, Female Pronouns for Grell Sutcliff, Gen, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Multi, Period Typical Bigotry, Rating and tags subject to change, Transphobia, background slingphries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24686041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeletedBecauseShy/pseuds/Grim%20Reaper%20Cultist
Summary: No person can be blatantly harassed forever without eventually snapping. Everyone has something that will eventually push them over the edge. So, what happens when Grell Sutcliffe’s already bad day is mixed with William’s obvious dislike for her?_____________Crimson Deserter AU in which Grell leaves the dispatch society and ends up working for Ciel at the manor._____________
Relationships: Mey-Rin & Grell Sutcliffe, Sebastian Michaelis & Grell Sutcliff
Series: Crimson Deserter AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784815
Comments: 19
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> William is not a good person in this fic and acts very transphobic towards Grell. If you aren't okay with that please don't read it.

Grell’s day hadn't started well. Between hitting her ankle against the side of her counter and knocking everything on it to the floor for her to pick up, she hadn't even gotten to work before the mild rage settled. Everyone has those days, she just, woke up on the wrong side of the bed is all. It would get better, she just needed to get to work and forget about her poor morning and have a good rest of the day. She began to get changed shortly after waking up. Her closet held a wide array I red and black outfits from lace dresses and formal suits to oversized hoodies and sweat pants. She decided on a semiformal outfit; it was her signature red coat over a white and black dress shirt. From there she headed towards her large vanity in search of some matching makeup. She didn't use much, only enough to contour her face into the more soft and feminine shape she preferred. 

Getting to work wasn't difficult, the tall buildings could be seen from her apartment and were barely a five-minute walk. She entered the familiar building and continued to drag herself towards the elevator, still upset from her disastrous morning. The elevator acted as a good separator, officially announcing the end of her unfortunate morning and the beginning of a new workday. 

The doors opened to reveal the familiar maze-like halls of the upper floor. Upper-level Shinigami were given their own office space, unlike the trainees on the lower floors. Grell passed by her coworker’s offices, sneaking small glances to see who had and hadn't shown up before her. She was abnormally early despite her morning, wanting to get out of her house as soon as possible. 

She was barely surprised to see both Alan and Eric in the office the shared, not that either of them had actually filled out the appropriate paperwork to do so. The room’s walls were covered with a wide array of pictures depicting the couple and the twin desks we're messier than most other shinigami. Eric’s desk was half-filled with overdue paperwork half-filled with soon-to-be due paperwork while Alan had taken the slightly less chaotic route and covered his section with flowering succulents. 

Realising that she had actually arrived early she changed her plans and knocked on the door. She was met with a quick reply from Eric that she could enter and the door clicked open. The pair were seated at their shared desk though judging by the scattered paper balls and planes she doubted either one had been working. “Good morning Miss Grell, are you looking for Ron again?” 

“Oh heavens no Al. I don’t want to see him this early in the morning. Unlike you and Eric, Ronnie and I have rules about our relationship. Mainly, he better not fucking talk to be before noon and in return, I don’t question his occasional sunglasses.” 

Honestly, the last thing Grell wanted right now was her hyperactive mentee running laps around her while she trudged through the office like sludge. “Understandable, is there a reason yer trotting around the halls like a deadman walking then?” An audible groan could be heard followed the easily recognisable sound of someone collapsing onto soft cushions. Grell didn’t even answer the question, figuring that Eric could probably decipher the sound that she made to be her soul slowly leaving her body while it ran on nothing more than sugary coffee and pure spite. 

“I hate to ruin your funeral there Red but Spears is gonna have at ya if ‘e catches you in ‘ere.” Grell was amazed at how a simple sentence could possibly worsen her day even more. The knowledge that her superior had returned from his assignment was quick to dampen the mood. It was no secret that the two didn't get along, and Grell preferred to keep far away from Will as of late. 

Recently, his attitude towards her had gotten worse it seemed. What used to be snide remarks and annoyed sideglances had turned into open insults and obvious disgust. Not wanting to have to talk to Will before her shift had even started, Grell began to slowly drag herself out of her friend’s office with a final goodbye to the pair. 

The walk to her office wasn’t long, only a few halls away. She opened the door to the familiar red room, complete with variously sized paintings and a few potted plants scattered around. Most of the room was taken by the large kidney table that held everything from work supplies to make up products. The table stood in front of a large painting she had taken during an old artist’s reap. It depicted a beautiful young woman with curly red hair and crystalline blue eyes surrounded by splatters of dark freckles on her loft skin. She was adorned in a knight's shining armour and the painting itself covered a majority of her back wall. 

Grell saw more within it though. Because It was normally seen as taboo to discuss one’s past life in the shinigami realm, only Grell ever realised the resemblance between the girl in the photo and her little Ember. The only difference she had even been able to make was the eyes. The painting’s eyes were much too light compared to the dark blue-green that she herself had had while she was human. 

Grell often found herself distracted by the painting on bad days; it was easy to remind herself that some people actually did care about her. She actually did have allies out there even if they hadn't talked since she died. It was apparent in the speech Ember gave at her grave that night. 

Grell, like most shinigami, had attended her own funeral out of curiosity and while not everyone was excepting, some even going as far as to call her death a blessing, she could tell that she actually did have people who would miss her. It was that day that Grell realized that she had been wrong when she laid sprawled out on her small bed, the cold steel of the knife weighing her hand down as her blood dripped off of the bed frame in a steady staccato rhythm. Her eyes slowly closing as the curtain fell for the last time. 

As though sent to stop her from wallowing in past misery, the loud thumping noise of someone knocking brought her out of her own mind.

“You can come in!” She pasted a polite smile over her face to avoid questioning. Only when the person revealed themselves did her smile quickly melt into an aggressive scowl. “I take it back, leave. Now.” 

William T. Spears was not welcome in her small sanctuary. Grell’s day had started off bad and she had no intention for the rest of it to follow suit. She saw no reason for him to come to her seeing as she had been on schedule for the past month. The idea of being once again constricted to only paperwork acting as a deterrent. 

”Mr Sutcliffe, I am not here to distract you from your very important work,” he glared at the beauty supplies scattered around her desk, ”I've only come here for some files on Knox’s internship. As you should know, his training is ending next year and as such his final review is scheduled for next month.” She could hear the disgust in his voice workout even looking up at him. She opened the drawers to find the paperwork quickly in an attempt to be rid of William as fast as possible. ”Careful Sutcliffe, wouldn't want to accidentally lose more paperwork now would you?” 

He did it on purpose, she knew he did. Always trying to infuriate her only to act the victim when she couldn't take it any longer. ”Get the hell out of my office William. I will deliver the papers when I find them.” She knew he wanted nothing more than to watch her finally snap, giving him the perfect excuse to terminate her. ”And why should I trust you to do it in a timely manner if you are not supervised? After all, you have been known to be quite lacking when it comes to paperwork.” 

Grell could feel her final thread of submission snap as she violently stood from her chair. She had put up with his blatant discrimination since their academy days, enough was enough. She was only human, could only take so much before her thin veil of sanity shattered to pieces to lay upon the ground. 

“The files are in the bottom drawer,” she growled, “Get them yourself if you need them that badly.”

“You have no right to raise your voice at your superiors, Mr Sutcliffe.” Rage began to roll off of her as though it was a thick mist, pooling around the room before she fired back at him. “How’s it feel to be so intimidated by someone’s pronouns. You must be pretty low down on the chain if you're scared by words of all things, Ms Spears,” She accentuated the last section with a sly smirk, “Doesn’t feel very good does it?” 

“Sutcliffe, my job is in no way affected by the wishy-washy emotions of my subordinates. Now, if you could give me the files.” He adjusted his glasses before turning back towards the door. As his words sank in Grell mirrored the movement, changing only in the end when her fingers grasped the corners. William turned his head at the sound of beads clicking together, Grell’s glasses laying firmly in her closed hands. She rested the pads of her thumbs on the bridge before looking up to meet William’s eyes. 

Her stare was aggressive and stubborn, revealing exactly what she planned to do. The plastic let out a loud snap when it finally gave under her strength. Twin pieces falling to the floor, the beads following suit. She couldn’t stay much longer, William would call security within seconds. Still, she turned around, she needed one last look at the painting, needed to know that she had allies out there. She could hear pounding footsteps from down the hall as she ported away. She didn’t think about her destination, only wanting to escape as quickly as possible. 

Her eyes opened to the busy streets of London. Horses passed by her carelessly, riders not soaring a passing glance. A cloaked reaper was only visible to those who already knew it was there. She reached out a hand, her vision losing clarity past her elbow. Her fingertips marked the line between discernible and obscure. 

The weight of her actions only took effect as she crossed the street. She wasn’t a demon, she would need food soon. Countless shops advertised their need for employees but she knew better than to uncloak in public. The loss of her job was sudden, the last thing she needed was disgusted glares from every passing human. 

The crimson fabric of her coat scraped against the brick as she slid down, her head landing roughly in her hands as she barely held back tears. Combing through the tangle of emotions, regret was absent. She only wished she could have said something to Ron before she left. He deserved a better mentor for his last year in training. She only hoped he got transferred to someone who would look out for him. Her surroundings blurred more as her tears threatened to spill. 

She hadn’t even thought about what she was doing, just snapped her glasses and left. The clink of her glasses chain continued to echo in her mind, the metal bouncing from the force. Without the special chain she was left defenceless because, like all reapers, her scythe was stored inside of jewellery, and without it, her only hope of survival was stealth. By night the demons would begin to roam, seeking out what was left of her soul to devour. 

Her only hope was to find shelter before sundown, only about 10 hours if she were to estimate. She was a deserter, and she had to start acting the part. There was no time to wallow in self-doubt she realized. The next 10 hours were crucial to her escape from dispatch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took longer because I had to finish up the overall scaffolding for the story.

The only important objectives were stealth and shelter. Everything else would need to be secondary; She could go 10 hours without food or water. The pad of her finger came up to wipe the growing tears away, her foundation smearing. 

The ground was coarse under her hand as she began to lift herself up, leaving residual dust across her palm before she wiped it off. Her hair swished as she tied it in a loose low ponytail. She brushed her fingers through the mess of red locks, dyeing them brown at the touch. Figuring the phosphorescent eyes would give her away as much as her hair, they were quickly turned to a more natural shade of green. Lastly, by tearing a chunk of fabric from the innermost layer of her coat, she wiped away the remaining makeup, completing the transformation. 

The facade still felt familiar, it wasn’t long ago that she and Angelina worked together under the moonlight. Her now-brown hair swayed slightly as she finally looked around. She couldn’t see much, only about as far as her fingertips. Any advertising for a business that was hiring would be difficult to spot from her current spot in the alley. The flaw in her appearance was visible once she uncloaked and entered the crowded streets. Only that morning had she dressed in a white and black dress, oblivious to her own future. 

There was no way she could change it. The only thing she could do was attempt to cover it with her coat. The outfit wasn’t perfect but should work. First stop, the next-door bakery, a handwritten note asking for additional employees. A bell chimed as she walked in, the old man looked up at her. We silently walked up to the counter, calculation what she wanted to ask as she got closer. ”Hello Sir, are you still looking for new employees? I'm new to town and-“ The old man cut her off, “Sorry boy, we’ve already got a list I'm ’fraid.” 

The next three shops we're progressively worse experiences. The fourth, and final, shop ending with her accidentally stumbling around the blurry room until she found the door. By then a headache had begun to take its hold behind her eyes, the constant strain bringing tears. She walked back towards her original alleyway, sounds of horses drowning out nearby voices. The sun would set soon, she guessed it was around 5, right before families would begin to sit down for dinner. Her eyes began to fill with tears once more as she pulled her coat over herself like a blanket. She closed her eyes, it would be best to be eaten while she was already unconscious. 

She felt a stick poke at her sides. She kept her eyes closed. Her nose twitched as the telltale bitter-sweet scent of a demon drew closer. Her eyes remained closed. The stick jabbed at her stomach. The demon was closer now. She heard 4...things clack against the rocky ground. It came closer, and closer, and closer. Her mind conjured up the grotesque image of it dragging its hooves across the stone until its tusks poked at her ribs. She needn’t open her eyes to know of her imminent end. Her only hope was that none of her friends would reap her in the end, they didn’t deserve that pain.

“It isn’t every day a defenceless reaper sits at your feet, what will you do with it, my lord?” The voice was hauntingly familiar; it caused her to finally open her eyes. Sebastian stood directly in front of her, Ciel to her side. What she had assumed was some sort of tusk had only been the small boy’s walking stick. 

“Sutcliffe wasn’t it? What exactly are you doing slumped against a Funtom shop’s wall like your homeless?” Grell couldn’t help but flinch slightly at his harsh tone, even if he was completely correct. “Ah, I’m afraid that analogy isn’t too far off. Technically I am homeless now. After all, I doubt dispatch is willing to let a Deserter live in the dorms.” The boy seemed to perk up when she mentioned she had nowhere to go. She could feel the insult coming before he even opened his mouth. 

“Well Sutcliffe, seems you’re in luck. I do have a strange habit of inviting and dangerous individuals to live with me. So, what do you say?” Sebastian’s eyes widened at the boy’s idea. He couldn’t really be inviting a Death God to work at the manor. It hadn’t even been a month since they had gained Snake, the new reptilian footman still getting used to the acquired luxury. “You really are nothing but a boy after all. Surely you realise the blatant risk I would bring. Or do you think I am single use?” She couldn’t help but to be suspicious. He had no reason to trust her, not after every she had done to him. 

“Its nothing like that Ms Sutcliffe-“ she cut him off suddenly, formality be damned. “What did you just call me?” Ciel seemed scared at her sudden outburst, his reply coming slowly. “Ms Sutcliffe. That is your name is it not?” His words brought a smile to her lips, the glimmer in her eyes reappearing. “I think I could like you, Phantomhive. Now, about that job offer? And please, just Grell is fine” 

Ciel turned back towards Sebastian to deliver an order. “Bring the carriage around here. The rest of my schedule wasn’t important, it can wait.” The butler bowed before leaving the alleyway. Ciel thought about what servants the manor lacked, combined with the fact that it would be best if she worked with Sebastian he quickly figured out her new position. “Grell, how would you feel about becoming a Housekeeper at the Phantomhive Manor. We will supply a living quarters, your uniform, and any other necessities. Speaking of uniforms, I don’t think the Housekeeper should shave such a bland appearance. I was thinking something...crimson perhaps.” The boy smirked at her reaction. She instantly brought her fingers up to her hair, the band ending up discarded while she hopped up onto her feet. The dull brown quickly changed back into a deep red, cascading all the way down to her lower back like liquid rubies. Unfocused eyes moved to the approaching carriage and she couldn’t conceal a smile as she realised how lucky she had gotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, please give feedback ~<3


	3. Chapter 3

The Phantomhive Manor was intentionally maze-like to confuse possible assassins. As such, for any new servant joining the family, getting lost was a real issue. Luckily, Ciel had been kind enough to draw a small map of the general layout during the carriage ride, coving his kindness with a snide remark about maximum efficiency that even he didn’t seem convinced by. Grell realised the poor boy couldn’t really act like a child without proper reasoning or an excuse, if he did he would be labelled weak and childish by those who wanted the Queen’s guard dog out of the picture. Grell decided that would be how she repaid him, give him the opportunity to truly act his age, even if she had to work harder than ever before. She owed him that much after all. 

She combed her hair with her fingers absentmindedly, needing the stimulation. By the time they arrived Grell’s hair seemed to surround her like a halo as the three walked to the manor’s entrance. Sebastian opened the door with his usual amount of grace, revealing the tiled floors and elegant golden trim of the lobby. As the earl entered she could hear fabric swishing and shoes clicking as the servants greeted him. She choose to walk behind Sebastian, waiting for him to close the door before trailing after him. The click of Ciel’s cane finally stopped in front of the row of servants and she couldn’t help but realise the scarce amount of help Sebastian actually had. She had a thought in the back of her mind that some of the faces seemed familiar. She swept it off, they must’ve passed each other in town during a real or something of the sort. After all, they didn’t seem to recognize her. 

A young boy finally questioned exactly why she was here, a chilling curiosity evident in his voice. “Excuse me, young master, Is this one of our guests?” The girl, who Grell assumed must be the maid, seemed to worry when the idea of guests was brought up. “I can preparer the guest room quickly, yes I can.” Ciel put an end to their panic by formally introducing her. 

“No need to do anything of the sort Mey-Rin, this is Grell, she will be working here as a Housekeeper from now on, I hope you all can get along. Now, Grell, this is the gardener, Finnian,” the young boy from before stood up straighter, hand coming to a welcoming salute before Ciel continued, “Mey-Rin, our maid,” the young woman beamed at her from her post, “Bardroy, our.....chef,” one of the older men responded, his hair was singed and his apron seemed burnt at the edges. Grell realised why Ciel had hesitated when announcing his role. “And our newest servant, Snake. He acts as a footman.” The boy certainly fit the name, Grell could see multiple small snakes cooling around his arms as he shyly looked in her direction. By the end of his speech, Ciel had begun to walk up the grand staircase, Sebastian following behind him. “Oh, and I’m sure Tanaka is around here in somewhere as well.”

Grell couldn’t help but feel slightly shy around all the new people around her, she seemed to fold in on herself before Finnian finally broke the tense silence. “Grell? Like Madame Red’s butler? He was kinda crazy wasn’t he?” Grell realised why the group seemed so familiar, they had worked together before, not for very long though. The memories of her time as a butler were overshadowed by the rush of adrenaline that came with each kill. “Ah, I’m afraid I don’t know who you’re talking about. I suppose it is a common name around here though. Speaking of which, just Grell is fine” Her hand shifted to the back of her neck, she couldn’t afford to be recognized after everything the Young Master has done for her. 

“Oh, Grell. I do believe Ciel has another trip to town tomorrow, I’m assuming he will be taking you to meet the tailor. He did talk about what would happen in the carriage I hope,” Mey-Rin glanced at her current outfit, the dress she had chosen that morning was frayed at the edges, black fabric coming undone at the seems while her coat hung around her shoulders like a soaked cloth. “Until then, would you like to borrow one of my uniforms, I have a few spares in case anything happens and I’m sure Sebastian could help refit them. You are a bit taller after all.” 

Grell finally realised the absurdity of the situation. This woman was asking if she would like to borrow a dress, her tone had no sarcasm or disdain. She could feel a slight blush come to her cheeks at the thought. “Ah, a wonderful idea Mey-Rin. Say, would you mind bringing up one of your black uniforms, I think I shall do just that. By the way, you were correct about the Young Master's plans for tomorrow. He does plan on going to Ms Hopkins so I am trusting you four to keep the Manor in one piece while I am gone.” Grell hadn’t realised Sebastian come back down the stairs until he stood directly behind her, his hand on her shoulder as he leads her towards the servant’s hall. Mey-Rin had run ahead towards her room, excited at the idea of a new woman joining the ranks. 

She returned a few moments later, a black and white dress hung over her arm as she ran towards them. Sebastian was quick to make a few adjustments with a needle he must’ve kept in his coat, and, before she could even process what had happened, the frilly fabric sat in Grell’s hands. She tried to figure out how she was expected to wear it, long sleeves seemed to tangle with white frills and bows in her mind. Mey-Rin, apparently sensing her confusion, gently grabbed her by the elbow before leading her towards the woman’s rooms before stopping at what must’ve been her room. “Over here Grell, There’s one more thing I want to grab from my room, and I think it would be easier to change in here, the next room over doesn’t have any lights on yet and I’m afraid I didn’t exactly bring any matches with me.” The younger woman opened the door to something Grell hadn’t been expecting from her. The walls were lined with rifles, a pile of scopes lying disregarded in the back corner. Ammo seemed to cover every surface except one, on the sidewall, there was an old wooden table, the top crowded with white aprons and blue blouses. Ciel had said he hired dangerous people but this was unlike anything she had ever seen. The maid walked towards the makeshift dresser, moving aside fabric to reveal a small drawer. She opened it to reveal a small brush and hand mirror as she motioned for Grell to sit on the bed. 

She climbed behind Grell, her smaller form-fitting on the small bed at the perfect height before she brought the brush down towards the ends of her hair. “There really is no need Mey-Rin, I’d hate to waste your time. I’m sure your busy and all. I can change in the next room over.” She clicked her tongue at the idea of missing the opportunity to help a new servant feel more at home in the Manor. Grell took the mirror reluctantly, contemplating a more assertive way to get privacy while she changed. 

While Grell thought, Mey-Rin continued brushing the long strands of hair until it was parted into two equal sections, from there she began to comb her fingers through until three even segments had formed on each side. Grell could feel her moving quickly as her fingers worked to braid three strands together on the left before moving onto the right. She reasoned that it would be difficult to work with longer hair, lest it gets caught in something. Grell felt that her lying was even weaker than the Young Masters had been earlier. 

She finished quickly, twin braid falling to Grell’s mid-back when she finally stood. The idea of changing in front of another woman seemed strange to Grell, she tried to get her to leave only to be denied with the very real possibility of drowning in the vast amount of fabric. The first thing to go was the overcoat, she folded it neatly and placed it on the bed before turning to the zipper on the side of the dress. It felt like the fabric was squeezing her, she couldn’t get it off. Her hands shook as she tried, Mey-Rin watching worriedly as tears started to form in her eyes. 

”Are you okay Grell? If something wrong, you can tell me. Maid’s honour.” Grell knew she was only trying to help, but even still she couldn't help but feel like she was lying to the poor woman, she tried to form an apology. The noises she made could hardly be considered human. She could feel someone trying to soothe her, a gentle hand draw in intricate shoes on the small of her back. 

”Don’t worry, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to. Everyone here has gone through hell and back and I'm sure the same is true for you. I'll be in the hall. Call if you need me, alright?” With that, she walked back through the door, a small thump accompanying the action. 

Grell stood back up, wiping the trail of tears from her cheeks as she slowly peeled the dress of the rest of the way. She kept her back turned towards the mirror until the first layer was flowing around her. The smooth black fabric was only slightly longer than her previous dress, swaying against her lower thighs. The long sleeve dress was secured around her waist, creating two separate sections. The next layer was a simple white apron with flared shoulders. The inside was filled with multiple pockets and small storage spaces lined the seams. Once again a sash was tied around her waist. To finish the look she cuffed both sleeves, white poking out against the black, along with her collar. 

She turned back towards the mirror, twirling her hips to get the fabric to spin about. It wasn't a perfect fit, Sebastian could only do so much with a dress two sizes smaller than her after all. Still, the idea of being permitted to dress like this as part of her job brought a smile to her face. She told Mey-Rin to come back as she finished folding her old clothes, the gasp she heard caused a jolt of excitement to course through her veins. ”How is it? I think you are a good judge of a Maid’s uniform after all.” 

”It suits you perfectly, I can't wait to see what Nina will be able to do tomorrow, she has quite a talent. The colour suits your hair as well, although there is one thing missing, give me just a second.” The maid once again walked towards the vanity, this time opening a different drawer from the on before. She smoothed out the frills before waking towards Grell, securing it to the top of her head with a small knot. She couldn't help but notice how well the headdress accented her braids. Monochrome shades disrupted by the bright crimson. ”There, now you're done. Are you ready to show the young master? I'm sure he will love it, yes he will!” 

Grell was whisked away from the room the next second, dragged by the maid back towards the main hall. She could see the telltale colours of sunset painting the floor. The young master standing at the top of the stairs, loyal butler standing behind him. A small smile graced his lips as he spoke to her. ”I'm glad to see you getting settled in, I hope you are ready for the work ahead of you. Goodnight, Grell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will it be Grellrin? Sebagrell? Who knows! Not me that's for sure


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say a double chapter week with almost 3k words?

The schedule for the remainder of the day was simple, a carriage needed to be scheduled for the next morning, the servant’s laundry needed to be started, and the curtains in the guest rooms needed to be changed out. 

Sebastian helped her when he was free, often instructing her or pointing out a mistake before disappearing back to his work. The other servants often passed as well, one lightly charred, one trailing dirt, one with a quiet hissing sound, and one actually stumbling up to help her. 

She had been removing the curtains in one of the guest rooms, about to replace them, when Mey-Rin tripped. Instantly her instincts kicked in (years of training will do that) she turned on her heel as her arms reached out. The younger woman landed against her chest, faces dangerously close together. The maid was quick to pull herself back up as she apologised profusely. Grell stuttered out a greeting when she realised the blush on the maid’s cheeks almost matched her hair. 

Apparently, she had come to tell Grell it was almost time for them to retire, she also had a schedule for the next day from Sebastian. Mey-Rin offered to help finish with the curtains but Grell didn’t need the help. Her mind was stuck on what must happen in the manor at night, did the master’s demons run free? 

Once she was done for the night, she headed back towards the servant’s hall. Snake had told her earlier that her room had been finished. It was similar to Mey-Rin’s with a small bed in the centre and shelves lining the walls. She hadn’t brought anything with her besides the clothes on her back. Her actual belongings were probably being burned back in the other realm. This didn’t mean all the shelves were blank. Her eyes were drawn to a shining silver sword, the firelight of candles reflected off of it like a mirror. A small note laid beside it, Sebastian’s smooth penmanship easy to recognise. 

You seemed pretty defenceless earlier today. I assume you lost your scythe? By now I’m sure you realised that the young master wasn’t joking about hiring dangerous individuals. This sword should work until we can find a better alternative, I imagine it can’t be entirely different from a chainsaw. You should also bring it with you tomorrow with the scabbard. Don’t shouldn’t reveal too much to the servants. They’re good people but don’t scare them, not that they haven’t gone through hell and back. I guess we all have though. Sleep well. 

She read the note carefully before holding the sword by the grip and giving a few practice swings. She enjoyed hearing the swish of air when she would swing, it was similar to her old weapon. She eyed the scabbard that laid next to it. Her eyes lit up when she saw it, dark red leather would look perfect with the monochrome uniform. 

She set the sword back in the holder reluctantly, not wanting to part with the inherent safeness it gave her. It was only when she realised that the manor was safe, she trusted these people, that she sat down in the bed, her clothes changed for loose night-ware. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, the day’s hardships melting off onto the bed. 

She was finally awoken by a gentle knocking on the door, Sebastian’s smooth voice instructing her to head to the servant’s dining hall once she was finished changing. There she would assign the day’s chores to the others. She would need to decide that herself, he had only given her a list and the reminder that the appropriate servants would be leaving for the city. The four people leaving would meet in the front hall after breakfast

Luckily it was easier to get dressed the second time. The layers seemed less complex now that she understood it. Like before, she finished it with the headdress before remembering the sword. She tied the belt around her waist, under the frilly apron. She was sure to hide it under the white fabric completely. 

She read the list while she walked, there wasn’t much. She was sure the three servants remaining at the manor would be able to accomplish it. Like before, it was written in Sebastian’s elegant and sharp style. 

1\. Finish the servant’s laundry  
2\. Clean the curtains you changed out yesterday  
3\. The Young Master will need Tea prepared before he returns, Earl Grey would be best  
4\. The Roses in the garden are ready to be picked. We will need 5 of each colour for tomorrow’s centrepiece  
5\. The hedges around the fountain need to be trimmed. The supplies are in the shed  
There is some leftover produce in the garden shed still. We also recently got a shipment of cleaning tools if your weapons need it, it should be helpful later. We are expecting guests. 

Grell wasn’t even surprised by the last part, of course, everyone here had weapons. Made sense. It was easy to divvy out the tasks for each person, years of paperwork make this seem like child’s play. 

She entered the room second to last. She noticed they all seemed less stoic when the Young Master wasn’t around. Her job finally started once the gardener rushed through the door, at full speed. “Finny, you will need to pick five of each colour of roses from the garden, once you are done trim the hedges around the fountain the trimmer is in the shed. While you are there bring in the spare produce from earlier. Bard, you should be able to make something edible with what’s there,” she eyed the two of them as she spoke, the young boy was too precious with a huge smile on his face at the idea of working outside again today. “Mey-Rin, you will need to finish the servant’s laundry as well as clean the curtains from yesterday. Once you are all done, there was a shipment of cleaning supplies dropped off, feel free to use them if any of your weapons are getting rusty. Oh, and we should be getting visitors while the Master is out. You can deal with them I’m sure. Okay then, Snake right? You’re with me and Sebastian today. We’re meeting in the main hall” 

Once she finished, she and Snake headed towards the main hall, grabbing an apple as she walked out the door. The remaining servants jumped out of their seats to start the day. Mey-Rin caught her eye as she was leaving, a faint blush falling over her face as she got caught staring. 

“Nice to see you two, good morning. Are we ready to leave?” The boy was dressed in his usual attire, Butler at his side as the pair walked towards the door. “‘Yes, My Lord’...says Oscar.” Grell’s mind immediately focus on one thought ‘are we saying the line? OMG, I get to say the line’ before she composed herself enough to speak. “Yes, My Lord”. He smirked at her excitement. 

Both her and Sebastian stayed in the carriage with the Young Lord. The ride was comfortably silent, a far cry from her usual mornings back at dispatch. Her thoughts wandered back to everyone. We’re Alan and Eric okay? Alan hadn’t relapsed again, had he? Did Eric get into another fight with Will? What about Ron, what would happen now that his mentor disappeared? She had to admit she missed the poor boy, even if he could be a thorn in her side some days. He was just a kid, couldn’t be any older in total than she was physically. 

“What’re you thinking about?” She finally snapped out of her thoughts when Ciel prompted her. “It’s nothing really. Just wondering how everyone’s doing is all.” She didn’t want to worry the boy with her own problems. “Tell me about them, if you want too of course.” Well, it couldn’t hurt. It wasn’t as though she didn’t want to talk either, so she began. “Firstly, there’s Eric and Alan. Complete love birds. I’m telling you, mushy as hell. There’s also Othello, they’re strange little thing. I think they run on caffeine and curiosity alone. Of course, Ronnie is there too. He’s my Mentee you know! I trained that brat!... I hope he’s well.” 

The rest of the ride passed quickly with Ciel asking, with genuine curiosity, about all the other Reapers from appearance to personality. She could tell he was curious about the strange bunch. They got out in front of an optometrist’s office, Snake staying behind to pro the carriage. Grell followed behind Ciel as he talked with the old man at the counter like an old friend. Luckily all Shinigami have the same prescription, a strong one. The shop had a wall of frames to pick from, nothing fit what she had before but there was one pair that got her attention. They were made of marbled red cat eyes and golden rims to hold the frames. The old man said he would have them ready by the end of the day. 

The trio continued down the road towards a smaller shop on the corner. The outside was bland and the windows were covered by thick curtains, the only sign it was open was the sound of footsteps skittering around inside. Ciel braces himself as he opened the door, a young woman loudly announcing his entrance. 

It was obviously a tailor if the various spools of fabric were anything to go off of. Grell hung to the side as Ciel talked with the woman from before, her head flicked up when her name was called. “Grell, come over here real quick.” She was quick to oblige, the pair had since been joined by one of the tailor’s assistants. She was obviously younger than the woman and her curly dark red hair was tied off in a low ponytail. “I’ll need you to write his down Grell,” the woman pulled a notepad and handed it to the girl. “So, what am I doing today Phantomhive?” Grell looked around until Sebastian whispered that the girl was also named Grell. 

“It’s nice to see you, Nina, I’ll need a Housekeeper’s uniform in the same style you did for the maid a few years back. I brought her here for measurements. We won’t be needing hidden holsters this time. Though, if possible, a hidden sword would be helpful.” Ciel had barely finished his sentence before Nina yanked her behind a curtain to be measured. 

Her hands instinctively held down her clothes as the woman tried to take off her apron. “If you think the sword is going to scare me, your wrong. I work for the guard dog, who do you think gave that apron extra pockets for ammo?” Surely her word choice was just off. Even still, Grell’s face turned a dark red. Nina was quick to grab supplies off of the surrounding tables, before going back to the dress. The first layer abandoned around her neck as she tried to pull the tight fabric off, further heating Grell’s cheeks. 

“You can’t keep the dress while I measure you. Whatever is there, I’ve seen it. Scars, burns, bruises, they’re common in the underground, so don’t worry okay?” Her face dropped the cheery look from before, a genuine smile playing at her features. “Now, I never did get your name, and I like to collect the names of beautiful women. So?” Beautiful? Woman? Her? Grell took a second to form a coherent enough answer. “Ah, I- uh. It’s Grell.” Nina’s eyes shine with understanding. “Ah, so that’s why you came up when I called over my Grell. It really is a pretty name, I know she likes it. Named after her late aunt apparently. Wish I could’ve met the woman by the stories I’ve heard about her. Tragedy the world has to lose such people.” 

By then the pair had begun to slouch against the wall as they talked. Grell still trying to find the courage to take off the remaining layers, trying to buy herself some more time. “Ah, what kind of person was she?” At that Nina called in the girl from behind the curtain. From up close Grell could see the familiar blue eyes, the dark red hair, each freckle seemed to perfectly contrast against her light skin. Her breath hitched. Nina asked her about her aunt and the girl was happy to talk about her. “She was so cool! Not that I ever met her but mum told be lotsa stories ‘bout her. They would go on crazy adventures and have tea parties like princesses. She was super nice and made the best tea! I actually still have one of her tea sets. Unfortunately she, uh, she took her own life a while back.” The girl's face didn’t seem completely sad. Her eyes still shining with the bright, happy memories that were passed down to her. 

Grell, however, was close to tears. It had to be Ember, she must’ve moved out of the family house once she came of age to do so. She knew exactly which set she was talking about, It would’ve been by her bedside table when they found her. The intricate rose design crawling up and around the handle and plates. The girl, her niece she realised, left the room once again after being called back to another room. “Ah, I’ve gone and gotten all sappy. It’s just that I can relate. It was someone I knew very well...” she wanted to change the conversation, finally willing to try and let Nina do her job. She stood on shaking legs, the apron still loose around her neck before she gently placed it on the table. Nina helped with the second to last layer, the almost-sheer fabric barely reaching her knees as it swished about. Nina looked at her curiously, mentally preparing to ask an important question. 

“Would you like me to add some padding?” Nina deadpanned Grell went limp as the stress disappeared. Her mind short-circuiting as she tried to process the idea. “Very much so. Yes. Absolutely.” Nina chuckled at her enthusiasm before taking her measurements. She explained the process in great detail, how emphasising some elements and downplaying others could be used to help and change her figure. Once she was jotting down the numbers she moved to the other item on the table, spools of white and black fabric. The process was incredibly quick, her hands flying up and down until a draft was finished within minutes. 

It wasn’t perfect, some seams puffed up creases lined the sides but everything she had said had turned out true. Her figure appeared more feminine. The light padding and cinched waist contouring her body painlessly. A new apron, this one with the small pockets replaced with a long strip of fabric to hide a scabbard. She walked out towards Ciel, this one was only the first, the final versions coming in a few days. Grell thanked Nina greatly, her mind buzzing with anticipation for the final result as they left the building. They walked back towards the optometrist before leaving, Grell going inside to grab the prepaid lenses. Instantly the world focuses itself, sharp corners instantly forming where blurred edges once stood. 

As the trio left towards where Snake had parked, Ciel had one last request. Grell would take him the rest of the way while Sebastian went to the fabric store. He had recently had a new idea for a line of bitter rabbits and Sebastian would need to make prototypes. They would need red, orange, black, yellow, and brown as well as 8 large green plastic beads. He smirked to himself at the idea. 

They arrived back to a blood-soaked pathway, fallen bodies laying around the treeline. More men poured out from the surrounding forest only to be killed on sight. Ciel’s only reaction was to cover the small window. She fought to not yank the door open and lunge out towards the fight. ”Go out there if you want to. I won't stop you from doing your job.” She immediately obeyed, the door opening and closing in a made second. The sword was light in her hand, the sharp silver whistling as she took a practice swing. 

A black and white blur moved fast as a bullet through the forest, hopping from tree branch to tree branch as assailants fell to the ground. Her movements like a perfectly practised dance as she treated gravity like a stranger. Even when she was left open any possible takers would be struck with a bullet from the manor. Her eyes were made for the dark, each detail perfectly clear through her new glasses. She always struck the soul, the faint light visible in the dark. Without her scythe, another Shinigami was bound to collect them soon. Most likely they were already on the premises, waiting for the fighting to end before cleaning up. If they were smart that is. 

Any attackers that hadn't been killed evacuated quickly. The grounds were clear within five minutes of Grell’s arrival. She joined the servants back at the entrance as they welcomed the young master, promising to dispose of the visitors as soon as possible. Sebastian pulled Grell to the side secretly, ”Go inside the Manor, another Reaper is nearby. I'll clean up. Let's see if Grell was right about your tea being good shall we?” She carried in the fabric and supplies before disappearing inside the Manor with Ciel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usually I'll take a break before starting the next chapter but I've already started it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait till Thursday to post this...

Sebastian was quick to finish the cleaning with the other servant’s help. Finny quickly putting back everything he had thrown while the other three carried the bodies towards the back. The other Shinigami was lurking around, watching just over his shoulder. He tried to prompt it out, If Grell was being chased they could have a problem. ”I won't attack. I am, how did your boss put it? Ah yes, collared. Feel free to collect the souls, I don't want them.” 

A yellow and black blur shot out of one of the trees across from him, a red streak following it. It slashed at the nearby bodies as it got closer. ”Sebby, right? Boss sure is upset with her ya know, I'd get quite the reward for bringing her back. Not that I could beat her though, she’d beat the life outta me,” The young man approached casually, his weight slumped over the handle of his scythe. ”Now, where exactly is she? Don't worry, I won't do anything, just wanna check in ya know? It's Ron by the way. Ronald Knox” He revved up the engine of his scythe before continuing to collect the nearby souls. 

Sebastian jumped back towards the front gate. If the Grell really needed to speak to the boy she could do if herself. He found her in the kitchen, skillfully preparing tea for the young master. ”Ronald Knox is looking for you. He's around the trees, I'm sure you can hear him. If you want to go you can, I can take it from here. Feel free to bring him inside.” Her eyes widened at the news. The boy had come to her! She rushed back out the door towards the loud sounds of his scythe. We watched him carefully before she talked. He had always been a natural at the fieldwork side of things. ”You called darling?” His eyes snapped towards her, their eyes glowing in the shadowed surroundings. He lowered his scythe as a sign of peace. 

”The boss wants your head and Alan’s nearly killed his voice defending ya. Told us you didn't have your scythe, you were really riled up to not remember the chain before you ported away.” He talked like he was telling a story, an uncharacteristic seriousness falling over his features. She wanted to keep talking, preferably away from the growing scent of rot. Sebastian had said he was welcomed to come to the Manor, Grell was simply following his idea. Ron put away his scythe while they walked, hands coming to his pockets to grab something. ” It's from Olly, I think he knew you were hiding out here. Cornered me when I got the job.” He handed her a slightly crumpled envelope addressed to her with worse handwriting than a child’s. 

Deserting huh? Your starting to seem more and more like the Silver Fox every day. Seriously though, things are crazy up here, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that you leaving has caused an uproar about executive mistreatment. Don't even get me started on the bitch that took your office, I've got nowhere to nap now! 

Grell couldn't look at him when they got inside. Had it been selfish to leave them with all the chaos she left in her wake? They sat across from each other in the parlour, neither wanting to break the fragile silence that stood between them like a wall. The soft thumps of socks on wood caused the pair to snap up instinctively. Ciel was dressed down into his nightclothes, the long sleeves dangling past his hands in a childlike manner. Like always, Sebastian trailed behind him elegantly. Both parties watched each other like analysts reviewing the field before attacking. 

Ciel moves first, padding across the room to sit with them around the table. His eyes were heavy with sleep yet the curiosity from earlier still shone through. He looked up at the butler with an order, “Sebastian, please prepare tea for our guest.” The demon was quick to obey, seemingly disappearing in the blink of an eye. Grell quickly realised the proper response as she stood to bow pulling Ron with her by his tie. “Young Master, this is Ronald Knox, I told you about him earlier. Please don’t mind us, we didn’t mean to bother you.” Ron smirked slightly as she addressed him formally, seeing his superior bow to anyone was strange but a child? It was quickly replaced with a slight blush when Grell mentioned talking about him. 

“I’m not bothered at all, it’s just childish curiosity. I do hope you’ll allow me to stay, I'd love to learn more about what’s going on. Oh, and it’s nice to finally meet you, Mr Knox.” The pair sat back down the letter still drawing a line between them, neither objected to Ciel’s presence. “Just Ron is fine. Now, do you have any idea how much overtime I’ve had ever since you went and took my Mentor! Spears hasn’t gotten off my back since seems to think I helped you!” The sarcasm was obvious in his tone but Grell couldn’t help but feel sorry. It was his last year and now he had to worry about getting a whole new mentor without prior notice. “I assure you I had no intent to end up with a Reaper as a servant. I just happened to stumble into her on the streets is all.” Ron scoffed at the reply. 

He had been one of the first to learn of her disappearance, Eric greeting him at the elevator with a glum looked as he spoke. He and Alan had heard William storm through the halls and went to investigate. Her glasses had still been on the floor when they entered. No one knew which portal she had ported through, she likely wasn’t thinking and could’ve ended up anywhere. Othello had seemed hopeful about his deduction though. Sebastian chose to come back with tea, handing each person a cup before politely leaving the room. 

“I’m willing to guess you don’t exactly want to leave now do ya, Grell? I don’t blame you, everything’s been a bit crazy since you left, you’re like a martyr for some people now. Don’t worry though, we’ll be fine. Even off Eric is one wrong word away from killing Spears most days. I got a new mentor too, Alan’s not nearly as fun as you were.” Grell sighed with relief, at least he still had a mentor to work with. Plus, Alan’s a good Reaper. There was just one thing she needed to ask him before he left, “Ronnie, do you know what happened to my glasses chain? I would be nice to have.” The boy’s eyes widened with realisation. “No way, you're telling me you keep your scythe in that old thing! It makes you look like my gran,” she shot him a pointed look. “Sorry, sorry. I do know where it is though. Alan has it along with what used to be your specs. I’ll see if I can get it to ya without Spears noticing. Speaking of, I gotta get back. It’s nice meeting you Phantomhive, you better take care of your new maid.” 

“I’m a Housekeeper!” She settled back down with a fake huff of annoyance. Ciel looked at her briefly before getting up, she could hear the padded thumps of him returning to his room to retire for the night. Grell followed suit shortly after returning he tea set to the kitchen. It had been a long night and, like earlier, she was fast asleep as soon as she touched the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some exposition before shit hits the fan ;) next chapter up Thursday


	6. Chapter 6

Her days were filled by helping around the manor as much as she could. Starting each day by portioning our tasks before joining Sebastian to make breakfast. The pair worked together well, perfectly predicting what the other was doing like psychics. Most of her morning was spent with Sebastian in near silence as they handled small tasks. 

She much preferred the latter part of the day when she worked with the other servants. During their break, she had started to train Finny in more advanced fighting techniques. The boy was talented if a bit rough around the edges. He had a tendency to ignore collateral damage and accuracy in favour of sheer strength. She helped to restrain that urge with the same techniques she had used with Ron at the beginning of his training, simple targets surrounded by unused glassware. Luckily, the manor had plenty of scratched glass for her to use. They started by throwing pebbles at targets a few yards away bedrooms moving up slowly to the boy’s normal, much heavier, weapons. Occasionally the Footman would watch from afar, Grell inviting him over after she noticed one day. She set the pair up to work together, Finny practising his accuracy far away while Snake’s snakes told him where to aim. Both boys were oddly precious to her. How their innocence prevailed after everything they had gone through baffled her. 

That day she left the pair alone to search for Mey-Rin. The woman had become an important part of Grell’s schedule after Nina’s dress had arrived. There had been too many layers and parts to sort through on her own and she had reluctantly called the maid in. Since then the two of them had gotten much closer, both coming to each other for anything. Grell had confided to Mey-Rin about her meeting with Ron, leaving nothing out; she had been conflicted since learning about the state of the realm but hearing Mey-Rin tell her, without any fear, that she wanted her to remain cemented Grell’s resolve to stay. Mey-Rin didn’t ask about Grell’s job as a Reaper. She reasoned it with the explanation that everyone at the manor had their secrets, the Young Master just likes those kinds of people. 

Her meeting with Mey-Rin was cut unfortunately short by violent banging on the door. Sebastian had gone with the Young Master to town leaving the servants to deal with the intrusion. Grell opened the door cautiously, sword drawn and hidden by the door. She quickly sheathed the blade when she realised who it was. 

Ronald stood with his hand on his knees, panting heavily as his mind raced for an explanation. ”Alan... Back pocket, for you.” The sentenced was punctuated with violent gasps for air. His eyes were red from crying and the lenses of his glasses were opaque from the condensation. She could tell he had been running on pure adrenaline, the crash was imminent. He was swaying from exhaustion as she swept him up into her arms. She took him to the nearest room, the parlour, and laid him down in the same seat he had sat in a week prior. His eyes fluttered closed once he was off his feet. 

She paced around the small room. He must have gotten her glasses chain from Alan and come to give it to her. Her hand gently checked his pockets for anything that could explain why he was so exhausted. True to his word, she felt the metal skulls tangled together, the chain clanking against itself gently as she pulled it out. She tested it experimentally, summoning her scythe was muscle memory at this point. The red-painted metal felt cold in her hand, the contrast between the leather grip of her sword was shocking, she put it back into storage. Her hands fidgeted with untangling the cord as she watched the boy's chest rise and fall with each breath. His breathing had evened out finally, she didn't have to watch him struggle to take in air any longer. Grell has to leave the room, she needed to be calm if something had happened and she couldn’t keep seeing him so worked up. 

She slid back against the wall with her head in her hands and tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Ron was safe, as long as he was okay it couldn’t be the worst case. She couldn’t help but think she caused it by snapping at Will, the thought finally caused the tears to too down her cheeks. Faintly she could hear someone walking towards her even if she couldn’t bring herself to look up at them. Only the woman’s shoes came into her view, the black seeping into its surroundings from the tears blurring her vision. She felt lost, as lost as she did the day she deserted. She hadn’t even been a Housekeeper for a month yet. 25 days was nothing when you had forever. Mey-Rin snapped her out of her misery with a hand on her head. She couldn’t hold in everything she was thinking, it all poured out. “He just collapsed! How dare he come here only to faint at the doorstep! Doesn’t he know how much I worry about him already!” The maid did nothing but listen, eventually pulling her up from her spot on the floor. “Grell, I’ll go get some tea and a damp rag, he’ll be okay, yes he will.” And then she was gone, Grell followed her orders. 

True to her word she came back a few minutes later. Grell took to pouring tea while she draped a cool rag over his forehead. Grell poured two cups before she realised “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him drink something besides alcohol. If he doesn’t take it I’ll pour it down his throat. God knows he needs something healthy right about now.” She set the third cup down before taking her own. “So, Who is he?” Mey-Rin took her own cup, eying the body as she drank. “If you're asking if he’s like me the answer’s yes. I had to train this brat only for him to scare me like this.” She continued to recall their time together back at the realm, occasionally throwing in stories about everyone else. He no longer looked like a scared child, the colour slowly coming back to his face as they talked. 

Eventually, Ron began to twitch slightly, His eyes blinking open slowly, still pink from earlier. He tried to prop himself up on the arm of the couch before Grell rushed over to help. Before he began tears had started to fill his eyes once more. He tried to talk before Grell clicked her tongue and forced the warm cup into his hands. “Not a peep until you drink. Once you’re done your free to say whatever,” His eyes wandered over to Mey-Rin, “You can trust her, don’t worry.” Now, what exactly happened?” 

He swiped away the tears uselessly. “It’s Alan an’ Eric. I had a reap with them, it should've been easy but we were a little late and a demon beat us to it. Alan collapsed mid-battle and Eric was next. I saw the bodies,” he couldn’t continue. The story had rendered him a sniffling mess. His entire body sagged before Grell walked to sit beside him. He slumped against her while he cried. He stopped after a few minutes, wiping his face and continuing. “Eric, he- it. It cut him up real bad, ‘least Alan was in one piece. He’s always been sick but, it was horrific, Reapers shouldn't be that pale. I’m Scared, I’m so fucking scared Grell. Everyone is gone. Dispatch has turned to chaos. It’s crazy, people are striking left and right leaving the demons to go unchecked. Spears has gone mad since you left, everything has to be perfect always, the punishments have gotten worse. What used to be a slap on the wrist had turned bloody. He didn’t even seem to care, bastard brushed it off like it was normal! I didn’t want this, I never asked for this. How is this redemption! We never did anything, the only one who needs to be redeemed is Will!” He had begun to breathe heavily again, hysteria had taken over. He continued to slump against Grell while his cries turned into violent sobs. Mey-Rin walked up to the pair, gently draping a blanket around them before sitting down in besides Grell. The two women sparred a glance as they decided whether or not to move the Boy. 

Where would they take him? The other servants had since returned from their break and it would be suspicious to bring him anywhere. The last thing they needed was someone asking questions. His soft sobs had begun to slow, his chest no longer heaving. Grell listened until she was sure he was asleep before laying him down on the sofa and covering him with the blanket. 

She gestured for the maid to follow her outside before she spoke. “Can you take care of him for now? If what he says is true there’s someone I need to talk to. When the Young Master gets back tell him everything. Sebastian will know where I’m going if he needs me, please just stay safe. For me okay By the way, what’s your prescription?” She didn’t want to leave the pair behind at such a crucial time but if Dispatch was as bad as everyone said it was then she needed to see for herself. Her hands combed through her hair slowly turning it darker while the other wiped off her makeup. She and Mey-Rin swapped glasses, the lenses were different but it wasn’t as bad as she had expected. “It was you wasn’t it? Grell Sutcliffe: the suicidal butler of death. Brown doesn’t look nearly as good on you as red does. Now go, I’ll take care of him until you get back.” Grell smirked at the accusation before leaving it unanswered. 

She ran towards the servant’s hall, passing her room as she went. By now, everyone would be preparing for the Young Master to return leaving the place empty. She snuck into Bard’s room. They didn’t talk often but he seemed kind enough to allow it given the situation. The closet wasn’t as full as she would have liked, her options would be limited. She chose a light brown jacket and a white undershirt. It wasn’t a suit but it should pass under dress-code. She emptied the pockets of her dress into the jeans making sure she got the glasses chain. She looked at the sword if she brought she would have to pretend it was a scythe and wouldn’t be able to use the scabbard to avoid suspicion. After all, if a reaper didn’t need their weapon they stored it away, it was protocol. She decided against it, leaning it propped against the wall as she left through a window. 

The nearest portal wasn’t far, she had used it a lot to sneak away and watch Sebastian. Of course, that was before she knew how appealing another member of the household was. She raced towards the familiar shop, turning quickly towards the wall as she prepared to port. Her body passed through with a whoosh as the dull colours of Dispatch entered her vision. She blended in with everyone else entering through the main entrance only leaving the crowd when the Lab came into view. While the crowd had smelled of blood and sweat the lab only smelled of sanitiser and microwave noodles. He must be in, perfect. 

“I hear you’ve missed me, Olly”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look out for a one-shot of Slingphries’ perspective on this chapter that I'm working on!


	7. Chapter 7

Othello swung around on his chair like a child, he barely got his legs beneath him before he jumped up to greet her. ”You came back, can't say I saw that coming.” he stopped a few feet short of her. She could tell he was curious by the sheen in his eyes. ”It's nice to see you too. Unfortunately, I can't say I came just for you, I just needed to see for myself what's been going on. I know you have some answers” He puffed his cheeks at her playfully while they walked back towards his office. He passed her a glass beaker before turning back around to grab a pot of tea. The liquid seemed more like something Ronnie would drink than any tea she had ever seen. ”Drink it, please. I'm not talking till I can see if it works or not. There's no poison this time, pinky promise. Ad before you get mad, I only poisoned it to see if it was lethal for Reapers. Nothing against you personally” 

The dull green ’tea’ smelled sickly sweet and flowery. She brought the glass to her lips slowly, waiting for it to explode on her. It didn't taste bad, the texture left a lot to be desired though. The flowery liquid seemed to stick to her throat as she swallowed, coating her mouth with a metallic aftertaste. She didn't take a second sip. Othello looked at her reaction closely before answering her first question. ”Tiny shavings of Cinematic Records I suspended in watered-down gelatin. You're lucky I added sugar to this batch. Poor Knox won't even look at me anymore.” Grill had to take a deep breath to not snap at her superior. ”Whose fucking soul did you steal Olly?” Does this at least benefit someone?” He blew off the first question casually, ”Well it certainly benefits me. Now I know what it tastes like. Now, why are you here, last I heard you're not exactly a field agent anymore.” He glanced at her like a fox, lips quirking into a sly smirk. ”It's about Alan and Eric, I know you can tell me about what happened. Demon populations have been dropping, I haven’t seen one besides Sebby in a decade.” 

“Of course I can Red, I know all about the Dispatch. I haven’t even examined them, let alone have them sent off yet if you wanted a one-on-one meeting.”   
__________

Mey-Rin sat down across from Ron with a book in hand. The Young Master would come back in a few minutes leaving her a bit of free time. She slipped the bookmark out excitedly, it had just been getting good when she went to bed last night. The main character and her love interest were forced to part after one of them was recruited for a dangerous war far away. Their last meeting had been rushed and still felt unfinished, Mey-Rin’s attention didn’t falter until Ron started muttering. 

He kept repeating the same phrase ’I promise’ over and over again. His body shivered slightly. She debated waking him up, if he was having a nightmare it couldn't be good. Her thoughts were forgotten when the door opened. The Young Master had returned with Sebastian. She ran towards the entrance to find them, accidentally running into Sebastian in her haste. He looked down at her expectingly. 

Ciel turned quickly at the noise. Mey-Rin had Grell’s glasses the white apron was wrinkled. She didn’t wait for permission to explain the situation, only leaving out what she had known about Grell’s past. The demon quickly catching on to what she knew. He smiled kindly before following her into the parlour, his eyes wandered to Ron like a predator viewed its prey. The boy had been roughed up and he could smell blood in the air. His clothes were splattered with small red stains, it couldn’t be his own blood then. Phosphorescent Green eyes remained closed tightly, his body twitching occasionally in the tight confines of the suit. They waited for Ciel to give an order patiently. 

“It’s not good manners to leave a guest in the parlour. Bring him to a guest room.” Ciel turned on his heel back towards his office. The maid rushed out to prepare the room immediately after, leaving the Reaper and Demon alone. He lifted up the younger gently like a bride and carried him out the small room; His eyes only twitching when he was set down on the bed. Sebastian busied himself with removing his coat and shoes, putting them safely away on the dresser. Mey-Rin worked silently next to him, finishing up with the old linens. “Grell left. Said you’d know where she was going.” He put the Reaper’s glasses in the table while he thought. 

The pieces clicked together finally, Mey-Rin’s glasses, her knowledge of the Reapers, and Ron’s unconscious body. “I do. I wouldn’t worry yourself though, she’s Housekeeper to die for a reason. Just take care of the Reaper” In the corner of his eye he watched her reaction, his eyes glowing red for a second when her head snapped to look at him. He flashed her a smile before leaving. The Young Master still needed tea after all.   
__________

Alan’s body was lighter than any copse she had ever seen. Telltale splotches of foundation covered parts of his arms and neck. Neither’s shirts were together, Alan’s ripped open at the front and Eric’s cut sleeve to tail. 

Their eyes had been closed but no one had bothered to wash off the blood. No one had attempted to make either body look presentable, both remained bathed in blood. Deep crimson pooled at the legs of the table, Othello’s footprints could be seen from the edge of the table and out the door. Her own shoes had begun to turn red at the edges. Othello hadn’t been lying, no one had properly examined either corpse yet. 

She got to work, she hadn’t learned nothing from working with Ann after all. First was Eric’s body, the large slash across his chest and large piercing on his chest didn’t happen at the same time. The cut has been disturbed and stretched as If he’d kept moving afterwards, likely expecting to be able to heal from it. The piercing must’ve been the one to kill him, it’s the position right above his stomach slicing through multiple organs. His face showed signs of bruising as well. Grell put together the picture in her mind, the demon had successfully cut him only for him to continue moving. Then, it dealt the final blow, likely causing his body to fall towards roughly. In the end, it would eat what was left of his soul as a reward. She checked his eyes last, phosphorescent green had faded back into a dark blue, soulless. She closed his eyes quickly, the sight of him with such human eyes felt strange, personal even. 

Alan laid beside him on the table, Eric’s blood dying his white shirt a dark pink. Her eyes traced over the dark lines across his skin. Foundation covered the exposed parts of his arms, parts of it had been washed away from blood and sweat. The left side of his face and body was bruised similarly to Eric’s chest suggesting he had passed out while standing. The lenses of his glasses were cracked and the arms sat at an unnatural angle. It was obvious the creature hadn’t attacked him, none of the blood soaking her shoes had come from him. She hadn’t even known he was sick, it couldn’t have progressed this fast since she had left. 

Othello strolled into the room, his face solemn as he looked at the bodies. Even people like him could felt something at the idea of Demons attacking Reapers unprovoked. “Check his eyes.” She bright her hand up to her friend’s face gently as she opened one of his eyes behind his cracked glasses.   
__________

Ron didn’t rewake until the afternoon. His arms immediately scrambling for his glasses. Once he could see he scanned the room, his memories hit him like a brick to the face. He didn’t even remember leaving the bed by the time he ran out the door. Maze-like halls seemed to close in around him. His breathing picked back up unnaturally fast. 

The servants could hear the door slam from their dining room. Mey-Rin stood abruptly at the noise, she politely excused herself and closed the door behind her before she took off running. Grell had given her one task: keep the boy safe. If a Phantomhive servant couldn’t do that, they simply weren’t worth their salt. 

She found him quickly, his footfalls were loud and rushed. He turned quickly at the sound of her getting closer, summoning his Scythe out of instinct. She dodged it easily, her head ducking to the side as she corners him. He put away the weapon once he recognised her, he faintly remembered that Grell had introduced them earlier. His movements had been erratic and quickly, likely caused by the anxiety of waking up in an unknown place. 

“Where’s Grell? What did you do to her? Don’t you know she’s all I have left now! If that demon touched her I’ll-“ Mey-Rin calmed him with a hand on his shoulder. She led him to a bench to sit before she finally spoke. “Grell’s gone off but she’ll be back, she promised me. And don’t worry, you’re safe here, yes you are! There aren’t any demons here to hurt you, okay?” She flashed him an empathetic smile. His eyes shone in the dim light of the setting sun. The window behind the bench cast a halo of light around the pair. 

Once his breathing returned to normal Mey-Rin offered to introduce him to the servants. She warned him beforehand that they were all a little strange around the edges. He followed her through the halls like a baby duck would it’s the mother. His confidence left back at the apartment building.  
__________

Alan’s eyes glowed bright green; the veins around the edges black as tar. 

She expected a brown, maybe even green or blue, but not the bright yellow and green circles that he had when she left. The glow was alarming. Why hadn’t the beast taken his soul like it did Eric’s? If his soul was still in his body, was he really dead? His body was dead, his pulse and breathing stopped long ago. Yet the soul still clung desperately at it, refusing to separate from the living world. 

Othello eyed her curiously for a reaction. “You could use your Scythe, the body shouldn’t still have a soul.” Behind them, his computer dinged with an E-mail. The light from the screen catching her off guard. He walked over and clicked the new link; Immediately Ron’s face popped up. He had officially been ‘Missing’ for long enough to be considered dead. News of the recent Demon attack filling the remainder of the screen. Eric and Alan’s obituaries stood off to the side along with a picture of their unofficial wedding. 

Grell’s thoughts continued to linger on Alan. Was there any reason a Demon wouldn’t eat a soul it was presented with after proving it was hungry? Her mind snapped to one person she knew would have the answer. When curious you should always ask an expert, and who had more expertise than a demon themselves? She thanked Othello before walking back out the door and porting away. The wind blew her braid around her legs as the initial dizziness of porting faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this and would like more information about when and what I'm posting, follow me on my Tumblr @DeletedBecauseShy! Besides a few one-shots, I have a new series planned for soon as well. I hold you enjoyed ~<3


	8. Chapter 8

Meyrin let the boy hide behind her as they got closer. The other servants looked at the pair as they entered, She plastered a kind smile on her face. “This is our guest. We met earlier so I’ll introduce him, he’s actually a friend of Grell’s who is staying with us for a bit. Ronald Knox ” He stepped out from behind her shyly and looked at the faces sitting around the table. “Ah! Well, a friend of Grell’s is a friend of ours. Welcome!” The Chef stood proudly with a crooked smile. Meyrin whispered his name quietly for Ron to hear. 

“Ah! I wanna go next! I’m Finnian, Grell’s super nice isn’t she, how’d you two meet?” Ron knew better than to expose himself that easily, faking a short story about their nonexistent families. Grell had talked about him shortly before, she had been training him the same way she did with him when they first started training together a few years ago. 

“‘It’s nice to meet you’ says Oscar” one of the younger boys “‘Likewise’ says Emily” Ron eyes him curiously before Finny pops back up, “That’s Snake! He’s the young master’s footman! His snakes are all real nice as well!” The blond swing his arm over the other boy excitedly while he spoke. Snakes crawling around near where his hand laid as a greeting. 

In the corner by Bard an old man sat formally, a Japanese cup warming his hands. He huffed out a short greeting before continuing to drink slowly. 

Meyrin moved towards where the two older men sat, leaving Ron with both younger boys. Finnian was barely even a decade younger than he was mentally, Snake only slightly older. The reptilian-like boy opened up to him slowly, continuing to communicate through his Snakes. It was truly an impressive ability, Ron was shocked someone like that would work at a Manor of all places. He had only met the Earl of Phantomhive once, still, the boy sure did flock to a strange crowd. 

The door slammed open and a red blur flew forward. Grell skidded to a stop in front of them. Her makeup was smeared around her eyes and mascara had dripped down her cheeks. She dragged him and Meyrin away from the others after a quick greeting. Hands shooing away their questions like dust.  
__________

Meyrin wiped the black streaks off with the edge of a towel. Grell had taken the three of them to her room to explain the situation. She began by telling Meyrin about the two deceased Reapers, painting both in a positive light. Her description of the bodies was purposely vague to keep Ronnie calm, the only detail she omitted completely was that Alan’s soul had stayed with his body. As she talked she had Ron confirm her suspicions about what had happened during the fight, Al had indeed fallen before he had the chance to attack leaving Eric to get hit. 

The other woman sat patiently, her hands fidgeting in her lap as the other two talked. She could tell Grell was withholding information from the way she spoke, it didn’t add up completely. Her description of the younger victim was almost nonexistent compared to that of his lover’s. Something had happened to him that Grell didn’t want to tell the boy. 

Grell finished her story, the final details explaining everything to Meyrin. Her sudden reappearance, the hidden parts of the story, and why she had almost left out the small detail. The boy’s reaction was immediate.  
__________

Ron’s entire body shook violently and fell to his knees floor as his hands grasped his hair. His breaths quick and shallow. Tears steadily fell from his eyes as she looked up at her. She had never seen something effect him like this. He looked up at her like a broken doll, eyes devoid of any joy to the point it was hard to believe they had ever looked different. “Grell you’re kidding. Just say it already! Say it!” She looked at him sadly, tears brimming in her own eyes from his reaction, “If his soul’s still there then, no. No! He doesn’t deserve this! His soul should’ve been redeemed by now. Why is it still with his body! He died, I watched it happen. Al was one of the best outta all of us, always turned in work on time and was nice to all us juniors. Why him? Just, why him Grell? It should’ve been me! I’ve messed up so bad, god. Why did Eric have to save me from the damn thing. It should’ve been me pushing him away at least!” Meyrin helped him up to the bed carefully with a hand around his waist. 

Grell agreed with every word about Alan. She knew he must’ve had his reasons for being a Reaper in the first place but even still he never showed it. They were all flawed, that was the point of redemption, but Alan never showed it. His emotions were always shown clearly on his face, from the kicked puppy look he gave Eric when he wanted something to the overjoyed smile she saw on the news earlier in the day. The trio sat on the bed silently for a second while Grell’s mind worked sporadically. 

She agreed with the first half entirely, her only problem was with Ron’s opinions on himself. No matter what he did back at dispatch it didn’t matter anymore. They were both strays now. She had to act brave for the boy, even if it was all a mask. “Ronnie, If Eric wanted you to live then why are you acting so pathetic about it! You aren’t seriously doubting your superior’s decision making skills now are you? He was a great Reaper and wouldn’t have sacrificed himself unless he believed in you!” It came out more aggressive than she had Intended, her anger at his self-hatred morphing the tone. He was instantly taken back by her sudden harsh tone, his entire body jerked back slightly, hitting Meyrin accidentally. Grell brought one of her hands up to wipe the tears off his face gently, the other cupping his cheek to keep him still. 

The two women sat on either side of him like shields, Grell’s bed quivering slightly when any of them moved. Ron collapsed back into the pillow with a small puff of air. His eyes were still closed when a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Al joked about it being a family vacation when we were walking to the apartment, they were both so happy. I think that’s how I want to remember them.” His words were slightly slurred from exhaustion. He hadn’t had any good sleep since he arrived, nightmares invading his every attempt. Only then did he really feel safe for the first time in a while, with the two women acting like shield for any nightmares.  
__________

Meyrin offered Grell her hand as they left her room together. “You can sleep with me if you want. I doubt he’ll be waking up anytime soon.” She blushed at the idea, the older woman following suit. “That’s sounds lovely.” 

They fell asleep with their arms tangled around each other possessively and faces impossibly close together. Meyrin would later deny the existence of any sort of nondescript lip-product being cleanly stamped on her cheek. Grell would gladly tell the story though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can’t guarantee when exactly I’ll update next but I’ve had a chapter saved up for a while. I’m in the process of moving so I’ll either update a lot or go radio silent. Hope you enjoyed ~<3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than normal in preparation for next week ;)

Grell was finally able to talk to Sebastian the next morning. He had been helping Finny tend to the gardens when she cornered him. An unusually grim look on her sharp features. “Inside. I had a question for you Bassy” she tagged the old nickname on to lower the tension. Her mind trying to remain playful despite the harsh circumstances. 

He politely excused himself before following her, crimson eyes glowing dimly with curiosity. “If it’s about the boy I’ve already promised not to lay a finger on him.” He held up his hands in a defenceless manner, even though she knew he had their ways to attack. 

“It’s not about Ron. I just have a few questions for you about souls and demons, that sorta stuff.” She poked him lightly in the stomach to emphasise her point before explaining some more. “Is there any reason a demon wouldn’t eat a soul after already proving it was hungry?” Her eyes shifted to match his curiosity, hands tugging absentmindedly at her dress’ sleeves. By then they were in the outskirts of the garden, taller grass brushing against their ankles. 

“I can’t say I know much about the lower demons. They’re nothing more than weak scum,” Grell huffed slightly from his lack of information. “However, there are a few things that would make a soul undesirable. Most likely if the soul itself was sick. Does that answer your question?” He straightened out is perfectly fitted suit while he spoke, his eyes betraying his facade of disinterest. 

She dismissed him back to his work silently. She turned on her heel towards the mansion once he left, Ron would want to hear what she learned.   
__________

Surprisingly, she found the boy in the main dining room along with the Young Master. Ciel seemed content to simply listen to his ramblings as he wrote in one of his books. His eye only looking up when her heels clicked against the floor. “Ah, Grell. It’s nice to see you. Did you need something?” The boy’s voice seemed happier than normal. She hoped it was for a good reason. She tucked her hands behind herself politely. 

“Not right now my Lord. I was just looking for Ronnie. Would you mind if I spoke to him for a bit?” Ron’s head peaked up at the mention of his name. 

“Go ahead. Once you are done though please come to my study. I have a job for you and Sebastian.” She grabbed the blond’s hand eagerly once she had permission. Whatever the two boys had been talking about, she couldn’t quite figure out. Her mind tucked away a reminder about the job as well.   
__________

“I’m not very surprised Al’s soul was sick. It would explain why he collapsed at the site.” Ronald had taken the news surprisingly well. She chose to think it was him maturing rather than simply running out of tears. 

He opened his mouth to talk before closing it a few times. Eventually, he decided to just get it over with. “Ciel is setting me up with some local jobs. He gave me a small flat up in the city as well. I was gonna wait to tell you but...” he trailed off. Grell could tell he didn’t want to leave just yet, that by telling her he couldn’t go back. She knew this would mean they might not see each other for a while.

He silently fidgeted with his watch while he waited for her response. Downcast eyes not noticing her motherly look. “I’m proud of you, know that? You’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know it’s been tough but you’ve got this okay? Have you told Meyrin yet?” His face grew warmer at the praise. He lowered his face as he shook his head in response. “She’ll be sad to see you go. You two got pretty close I know.” 

Ron tried and failed to hide behind his dual-coloured hair, blush reaching up to his ears. He mumbled out something Grell didn’t understand before running off back towards his room.   
__________

Surprisingly, Grell arrived at Ciel’s study before Sebastian. She walked into the small room expectingly, she noticed the boy was covering something with his hands. “Take a seat. Sebastian is busy dealing with Bard so it’s just us for now.” She nodded along. He shuffled around the items on his desk: the sheets of fabric they had bought back when she got her uniform, a needle, black and white thread, bendable wire, and black plastic beads. “These are just the beta designs that I come up with. Sebastian will make the prototypes later.” Her mind flashed back the idea he talked about last month. 

The boy’s hands pulled out the first doll, red fabric covering its head and trailing down its back. He had twisted the wire into the shape of glasses and perched them gently on the white rabbit’s head. Black and the white fabric had been cut roughly into a maids uniform around it. The rabbit was only barely larger than the boy’s hand. Grell’s eyes widened dramatically when she realised who it was. “The third official Bitter Rabbit plush will be a green-eyed maid to match our preexisting butler version. This is just the prototype though, the real ones will be much larger. Now, onto the next design.” 

Another small plush was placed on the desk. Like before a small wire had been bent in the shape of glasses. A mess of yellow fabric replaced the red and the body wore a black suit. She couldn’t help but squeal at the small rabbit version of her mentee. “You can keep this version once we have a prototype. I’ll bring it to you once that happens. Now, the third and fourth will actually be sold in a set.” 

Like before he pulled the rabbits out onto the desk. Two brown coloured rabbits sat next to each other, one with short brown hair and the other with half mid-length blond and half pulled back tightly. The all too familiar hairstyles and glasses brought tears to her eyes and a sad smile to her lips. “Please tell me if I got anything wrong, I only had your verbal description for these two I afraid-“

“They’re perfect Young Master, Alan and Eric would’ve loved them. I just wish they could’ve seen them.” Grell wiped the growing tears from her eyes as they talked. She hadn’t talked much about their deaths with anyone besides Meyrin. The idea of burdening Ron with her thoughts just seemed cruel. Thoughts seemed to pour out endlessly, Ciel listening dutifully the entire time. 

Sebastian entered the room just as she finished talking. The demon bowed politely before rising back to his full height. “Good. Now we can start.” He straightened his back, “Lau has recently informed me of potential human trafficking being orchestrated by the Karnstein hospital. They claim to be able to heal any injury. I expect you two to investigate. That’s an order.” 

The two supernatural beings kneeled in sync and brought their hands to their chests. 

“Yes, My Lord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I recently adopted another fic that I'll be working on in tandem with this one. Go check out A Thousand Pure Souls by TiBun! I plan on publishing the next chapter sometime this weekend so look out for it! As always, I would love any and all feedback you have ~<3


	10. Chapter 10

Karnstein Hospital’s halls are dark and deserted at night, only a few patients occupied the various rooms. The strange lack of people causing the two infiltrators to keep their guards up. A majority of the floor was veiled by thick shadows, four glowing eyes lighting up the walls with dim, red and green light. Sebastian scanned the end of the hallway, searching for anything out of place. He could faintly detect the familiar scent of corpses. He looked to Grell to confirm his suspicion; she gave a brief nod before they both continued forward. 

They passed multiple empty rooms before the Demon came to a sudden halt in front of one. “Corpses. Stay behind me.” Grell tried to peek around his body while he cautiously tried the handle, swinging open the door suddenly when it worked. Corpses lined the walls, their blood pooling in various spaces around the floor. Some were older than others, their greying skin nearly peeling and flesh shrinking around brittle bones. Each one wore the same mask to cover its eyes, the light grey fabric covered with lace and secured with a ribbon. Most had visible signs of death, be it a slashed throat or impaled heart. She didn’t have time to check the bodies more thoroughly before Sebastian pulled her out of the room by her dress. 

The room next door was the same. As they went down the line of doors the smell of rot got worse along with the quality of the bodies. By the fourth room they were hardly recognisable under the sagging skin and blood stains. Grell once again tried to wipe the blood off of her shoes, but the line of red footsteps after the first room still didn’t stop. Four eyes still glowed faintly in the dark hall, only now the green set seemed empty. It was in the fifth room they finally found something, Sebastian’s eyes widening in realisation. The rack furthest from the door held 6 bodies, his eyes lingering on the second to last. The woman’s arm had been torn off cleanly, blood still pouring from her joint like a fresh wound. He didn’t give Grell enough time to process its meaning before he carried her out of the door. He seemed to fly weightlessly, even with her in his arms. He took them up the main staircase, only stopping to sniff the air like a hound. On the upper floor he signalled for her to be silent before walking down the hall and stopping silently in front of a new door. 

He threw the door open roughly, the wood nearly shattering when t made contact with the wall. Inside, two blood red orbs hind suspended in pitch darkness. Only when they blinked did Grell realise the creature was alive. She cursed herself for not realising it earlier, Sebastian’s own sickly sweet scent had become normal to her after working at the manor. 

The new demon didn’t wait to attack them, it’s bloody claws ignoring Sebastian entirely to strike at Grell. It’s mouth opened, rows of red teeth parting every so slightly. “M-more...” It croaked out between dry breaths. “Reapers. So...sweet.” A freakishly long tongue moved to lick it’s teeth and lips. Spider-like legs worked to launch its body forwards quickly, once again ignoring Sebastian for her. She summoned her scythe when it moved, twirling her body away to avoid it. In the corner of her eye she could see Sebastian ready his cutlery like throwing knives. The fight became like an intricate dance, the other demon always managing to avoid their joint attacks. The only hit they had gotten had been from one of Sebastian’s knives while the beast chased her across the room. The silver blade had remained impaled in its back since. Grell continued to dodge and parry its attacks, her chainsaw getting closer and closer to its flesh with each strike. She finally hit it after launching off one of the walls, her scythe impaling it’s stomach with a squelching noise. Sebastian attacked while it was staggered, more knives finding there way into its eyes and chest. The creature continued to attack Grell, the smell of a Reaper’s soul keeping it focused on the objective. The pair continued to attack it ruthlessly, blades and slashed almost always hitting their marks. 

Souls poured out of its body like snow, hovering around the room before flying off in different directions. Only one remained after a few seconds, the glowing orb moving around her feet like a cat looking for attention. She leaned down to look at it, putting her hands out carefully in the process. It landed gently in her palm with a static-like noise. “You can go now, I’m sorry you got killed but you can’t stay in this world any longer.” She held it tightly against her chest, Sebastian eyeing her decision from his spot up against the wall. His nose was scrunched with disgust. 

“It smells like alcohol. Get rid of it.” 

She clicked her tongue at him in response even though he was right about her getting rid of it. Her grip around it tightened when she walked out the door, it hadn’t taken long for her to get irrationally attached to it, like an old friend. She unlatched one of the windows along the wall with one hand, carefully shifting it around to avoid dropping it. With the window opened she gently encouraged it to leave. When it refused she tilted her hand slightly, almost dropping it. When it continued to refuse she flipped her hand completely, the soul still not moving. After continuing to try different techniques she grabbed it in her right hand, pulling back and aiming out the window. She pitched the white glow like a baseball, watching as it flew out towards the city. Her hands worked fast to close the window once it was gone, not wanting to risk it coming back. It wasn’t he first time she had dealt with a clingy soul, most children would act the same. 

Sebastian had moved to the hall, snickering slightly at her failed attempts to rid herself of the soul. She turned toward him after latching the window, a smirk playing at her lips. “So, will you give off the same light show when you die?”

“I’m afraid mine would be a bit darker, I never much cared for the taste of innocence, or blundering loyalty like the clingy soul.” He scoffed at the question. The idea of feasting on so many souls was something he associated with much weaker Demons, those who were powerful enough wanted could afford to be choosy. They both strolled out of the building casually, Grell bringing her hands behind her head to stretch. 

“Race you to the Manor, Bassy!” The red blur had already taken off by the time she stopped speaking, a black one following closely after. Both seemed to defy gravity as they bounced along walls and roofs alike swiftly. Grell laughed the whole way back madly, the thrill of victory still with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Next update is gonna be really fun to write!!! Can't wait!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the Hiatus is over! Sorry that took so long, I felt like I kinda ran this story into the all but we’re back in business now!

11.) TRWR

Grell can feel her hair drying in uneven clumps around her back from the bloodstained water. It takes hours it seems until their small boat is finally picked up by a passing ship. 

As soon as her legs hit land again, she is laying down in the soft grass. “I think this calls for a celebration, we all loved after all!” Beside her, Ciel nods numbly. 

“I agree. Sebastian, clear my schedule for this weekend. I’m in the mood for a picnic.”   
___

They all sit around a large basket of various loaves of bread and cheeses. With glasses of wine, juice, and water scattered around. Ron and Grell sitting together with Meyrin and the older servants while Ciel sits atop a blanket from a distance. 

Snake and Finnian had long since taken to playing a strange version of what looked to be hide and seek, with Finnian and Snake’s snakes hiding while Snake looked for them. Hide and Snake, Ciel thought while watching the chaos unfold over the manor’s garden. 

“You should talk to them, my lord. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” Ciel clicks his tongue and shoots him a glare at the idea. Clearly happy from where he is. At least, until Finnian approaches with a joyful skip and asks him to join. Ciel, as powerful as he is both influentially and militarily, is still weak in the face of such pure excitement; he gets up from his seat.   
___

“Do you reckon they got redeemed? Eric and Alan that is.” Ron’s voice is unusually serious. Meyrin, Tanaka, and Bard had all gone to get more food, leaving him alone with Grell. 

The idea of redemption is a strange one, hammered into all Reapers heads from day one at the Academy. Yet, as far as he knows, no one has ever achieved it. “They deserved it more than anyone else did.” 

Grell nods at the idea. “Yeah, they did. We can only hope though. Not that sold on the idea as a whole, to be honest.” The boy’s head tilts at that, prompting her more. “No one has actually ever been redeemed. As far as we know, the whole thing could be a lie. If it is, there’s no way to be certain, no one to ask anymore.” 

“He would know.” She knows who he’s talking about. Will, the last person she would ever ask. Her face sours at the idea. 

“He would, but he wouldn’t tell us. Last I checked, you were dead and I was a wanted woman. We-“ he cut her off abruptly. 

“I’m dead! Why?”

“Missing long enough as of a few days ago. Saw it in an E-mail that I wasn’t supposed to see. Same time they announced Eric and Alan’s deaths. Anyways, we would need to sneak in and I don’t know how we would.” They both sat in silence at that. Like hitting a brick wall, their energy was extinguished. 

At least, until Sebastian added his own thought. “Forgive me for eavesdropping; but, who’s to say you would have to go to your realm. But, I see no reason he could not simply be lured here.”   
___

The younger trio finally stopped after around an hour of running about the yard freely. It was nice, Grell thought, to see the three of them acting their age for once. Ciel’s carefree smile was something she would enjoy seeing more often. 

Still, it wasn’t enough to fulfil her silent promise to him, to let him act his age for once. But, it was a start. 

Ciel collapsed onto the blanket as soon as he could, Snake and Finnian not far behind him. The boy’s eyes were half-closed from the sheer amount of exertion on his smaller body. “Father, pour me a glass of water.” It took a second for him to register what he had said. When he did, he immediately fixed his mistake. “Sebastian! Sebastian, would you pour me a glass of water.” 

“Did you just call the boss dad?” Bard’s voice was the only thing that could be heard above the chaos that had broken out immediately. Almost everyone in attendance turned to look at him before nodding vigorously. A few shouts of ‘He did!’ could be heard as well. 

Sebastian’s face was washed in a light pink that Grell previously hadn’t thought was possible on a demon. Still, he obeyed the (indirect) order, pouring out three glasses of water from the pitcher for Ciel and the other two boys. 

“Don’t even say it, Sebastian.” It was obvious Ciel was trying to be threatening. But, compared to everyone else sitting around, he just wasn’t. 

“Say what, my lord?” Sebastian smirked when the boy stuttered out an incomprehensible answer under his breath. “Or should I say, my son.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head on over to my Kuro fandom blog on Tumblr for more of my stuff  
> [Shinigami Dispatch Association ](https://shinigami-dispatch-association.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Look at that fancy link!!? Anyways, comments and Kudos improve my declining mental health! ~<3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the name to avoid having another one of my fics start with ‘The Red ___’ my stats were getting very difficult to read lol

It took a week for Ron and Grell to really start planning their attack. It was for Alan and Eric, they both agreed on that. The two of them deserved redemption more than anyone else. They both had long since repented in every form possible. 

So, for Eric and Alan, they would learn the truth. Ron wanted desperately to believe redemption. But, ever since his talk with Grell back then, he wasn’t sure. 

Grell, on the other hand, was looking for a reason to disprove it. She knew, in her heart, that the idea was wrong. If it wasn’t, someone would’ve finally been redeemed by then. There would be a rumour, at least. There isn’t and never had been one. 

Together, the two of them worked through a pile of ideas for ways to get William to leave the Reaper Realm long enough to be caught and questioned. 

Grell has to disprove a bunch of Ron’s theories and ideas before they can begin to form one that would work. 

‘We could just cause a scene here. Make sure that a bunch of people show up.’ “If there are too many people, they won’t win against Will.”

‘I could show my face in public, he does think I’m dead an’ all.’ “There’s no way he’d come alone. Once he knows your not dead, you’ll be wanted instead.”

‘Sebastian could do something bad, or something.’ “Will know’s that Sebastian is working with me.”

‘What if we just ask.’ That one...she doesn’t have an immediate rebuttal to that one. She knows she should. But, why wouldn’t it work? “We’d need a bargaining chip to even get his attention. After that, I don’t even know!” 

Bargaining chip, bargaining chip, the idea floats around her head. There is an infinite number of possibilities, yet there is also none at all. Sebastian, Ciel, herself, they all seem like the perfect decision until she thinks about it a little bit more. 

Bringing Sebastian would guarantee that Will didn’t show up, not alone at least. 

Ciel, while valuable to most people, was worthless to William unless he died. 

Offering herself would just be weird. He wanted her dead, not some sort of slave. Her wanted her dead. Yes. 

Her life was the perfect gamble. He comes to them alone, answers a single question, and she dies. It’s exactly what he wants. When he finally collects his reward, there’s no way that he can beat her and Ron (and maybe even Sebastian, she adds).

—

They get to work quickly, assembling and fixing their scythes and the devices they would need, scripting their side of the conversation, and informing those that needed it. 

Sebastian agreed to stay hidden and far enough away that they would be safe, while still being undetectable to Will. 

Ciel gave her and Sebastian the day off. 

Meyrin, Meyrin didn’t take it Well. The idea of letting Grell use her own life as nothing more than an attention grabber was...uncomfortable to her. “You’re worth more than that. To me, to everyone here. You can’t go through with it.” She pleaded. Desperately trying to subvert the plan. 

“I know I am, Meyrin,” Grell tried to reassure her. “But I have to. I’ll be safe, I promise you.” It wasn’t an empty promise, Grell thought. It was an empty promise, Grell knew. Honestly, there was no way to know for sure what would happen to her.

—

The date was set a month in advance, giving them time to go over every possibility, just in case. On the scheduled day, they would all follow the plan step-by-step. 

But, before that, they had to tell Will. To do that, would be easy. 

—

Grell and Ron woke up early a week before everything would happen. Getting dressed quickly, they headed out. Getting into the centre of town would be difficult just after sunrise on a weekday. 

When they got there, it was just as busy as they’d hoped. The people would spread the word far enough for it to reach the other realm. To make it easier, they even stood outside of a local hospital where death and disease ran wild. 

“What I’m about to say is directed towards William T Spears, if you know him, tell him I say hi. Now,” Ron started. “the thirty-first of March!” Grell took over from there, letting the boy rest his voice for what was to come. 

“My life’s on the line. You answer our question, and I’ll go back with you willingly. This is your chance~ you could be the one to end me! I know you want it.” Invisible to the humans around them, they could see at least five pairs of glasses and glowing eyes look towards the window curiously at the mention of their boss. “I’ve caused you so much trouble, haven’t I, Will! You could have your revenge.” She stopped to let Ron deliver the final statement in front of the quickly-gathering crowd surrounding them. 

“We meet in the morning outside the old paper mill. I’ll be there too, come alone.” Then, a little quieter to Grell only. “That should do it. Wanna grab breakfast?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting to the end now!!! If it seems like I'm rushing this series, I am. To be honest, I haven't been enjoying this series as much as I used to lately. So, I'm gonna finish it up and move on. This was my first real series and it'll always have a place in my heart (and my brain) but I've changed so much since starting it that it's getting harder and harder to write. Don't worry though, I still have a few chapters in me. Plus, maybe in the future I can rewrite it better, who knows. For now, though, I hope you enjoy! ~<3

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a pilot chapter. Please give me your opinions in the comments. :) <3


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